Grain-door for cars.



No. 802,973. PATENTED OCT. 31, 1905. L. GASTEEL.

GRAIN DOOR FOR CARS.

' APPLICATION FILED DEG. so 1904.

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UNIT D STATES PATENT ()FITICE.

GRAIN-DOOR FOR CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed December 30, 1904. Serial No. 288,996.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOSSIE CAs'rnnL, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Marion, in the county of Lynn and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Doors for Cars, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide a simple construction of doorparticularly designed for freight-cars; and the principal object of theinvention is to provide a door structure of great strength anddurability and one which will afford a closure for freight-cars or thelike which will reduce the shrinkage of grain which may be transportedtherein to a minimum.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means forefiecting the result reference is to be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions bychanges in the structure and minor details withoutdeparting from thespirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment ofthe invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a perspective view showing the invention when in actual use. Fig. 2is a vertical sectional View. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view.Fig. 4 is a detail view, partially broken away, showing the operation ofone of the vertical guides and the U-shaped baseplate. Corresponding andlike parts are referred to in the following description and indicated inall the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In illustrating the invention the numeral 1 indicates the sides of a caror similar support, the numeral 2 the frame of a door, and the numeral 3a door operating in the frame 2. The door 3 is of that type which aremounted so as to admit of vertical and horizontal sliding movement, thevertical movement of the door effecting opening thereof and thehorizontal movement carrying the door into aposition in which it will beout of the way and not likely to interfere with the introduction orremoval of grain. The door 3 is of peculiar structure, being formed witha View to promoting its strength to the greatest extent possible, andfor this purpose the body 1 of the door may be made of any suitablematerial, such as wood or the like; but said body is reinforced by meansof oppositely-disposed side plates 5, said plates being attached to thebody 4 of the door by means of suitable fastenings.

The plates 5 are ribbed or corrugated almost entirely over the surfacethereof, and the ribs or corrugations of one side plate 5 extend at anangle to those of the other side plate in order that the central or mainportion of the body 4 of the door will be firmly braced from any saggingor bulging action, the above effecting an ease of working the door inits guides upon the door-frame and being otherwise advantageous. as willbe readily apparent. Mounted horizontally upon the side 1 of the car,interior thereof and approximately just above the upper extremity of thedoorframe 2, is a supporting-bar 7, mounted at its ends in suitablesubstantial brackets 10. The door 3 is provided with engaging means atthe upper portion thereof in the form of cooperating spring-fingers 11,a pair of which are located adjacent each end of the door, and thesefingers have the upper portions thereof flared outwardly from eachother, as shown at 12. The door 3 is adapted to be raised and lowered bymeans of a connection 13, such as a chain or the like, which passes overa pulley 14L, swiveled with the door of the car in any suitable mannerjust above the door-frame 2. The chain or connection 13 connects with aclip 15, secured to the upper portion of the door 3, and when this chainis pulled upon to elevate the door 3 the spring-fingers 11 are engagedwith the bar 7, which passes between the flared extremities of saidfingers in the upper movement of the door, and the engaging cooperationof the members 11 with the bar 9 is sufficient to hold the doorsuspended from the bar 9'and adapted for a horizontalmovementlongitudinally thereof, in order that the door may be .pushed toone side and out of the way. When the door 3 is forced to one side ofthe door-frame 2, it is held in this position preferably by means of ahook 16, attached to the side of the car and adapted to cooperate withan eye member L. projecting angle-plates 18, secured to the said postsof these parts. The angle-plates 18 are attached tion, and these guidesconsist, essentially, of

the door-frame 2 adjacent the inner sides of by any suitable fastenings,and projecting from the inner wings of these angle-plates and preferablyintegral therewith are angle- Webs 19, which are so arranged withreference to the plates 18 as to form vertical guides in which the door3 is adapted to freely slide in its vertical movement. The angle-webs 19are firmly braced with reference to the plates 18 by means of horizontalwebs '20, which connect the wing of the angle-webs formed with saidangle-plates and adjacent portions of the inner wing of saidangle-plates. The Webs 2O firmly brace the angle-Webs 19 when inwardpressure is exerted against the door 3 and greatly increase thesubstantiality of the guides of the door in a manner readily apparent.The lower edge portion of the door is adapted to be received in aU-shaped baseplate 21, attached to the bottom of the car and across thedoor-frame. The sides of the plate 21'are reinforced by sill-bars 22,the upper sides of which curve downwardly from the upper edge portionsof the sides of said plate 21. One of the members 22 is located uponopposite sides of the plate 21, reinforcing this member 21 in asubstantial manner. It is also preferred to utilize a sill-plate 23 atthe bottom of the door-frame 2, a common means for protecting the car atthis portion thereof.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is 1. Indoor construction of the type described. the combination of a door-frameprovided with vertical guides at opposite sides thereof, a door mountedin said guides, a swiveled pulley above the door-frame, a connection forelevating the door passing over said pulley and connected with the door,a horizontal bar disposed above the door and of greater length than theWidth of said door, and members carried by the door for cooperation withthe horizontal bar to suspend the door from said bar, whereby the doormay be moved In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence oftwo witnesses.

. LOSSIE CASTEEL. [L. s]

Witnesses:

J EM COOK, GEORGE HOOVER

